The Full Panel meets your TLDR (Too Long; Didn’t Read) needs by delivering the latest medicine & health news in a nutshell. 🥜

Chill Out! The benefits of cold exposure for reducing age-related diseases 🥶

Gist: A study found that cold temperatures can induce specific activity in both worms and human cells, which helps extend longevity and reduce protein accumulation related to neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).  Activating these cells through cold-induced changes (exposing human cells to moderate cold temperature of 36 °C) may have potential implications for preventing multiple age-related diseases across species.

Nitty-Gritty: Lowering body temperature a little bit has been shown to help various living organisms live longer. Getting older increases the risk of brain diseases related to protein buildup, like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's disease, and ALS. This study looked at how cold temperatures affect proteasome activity, which is important for healthy cells. Proteasomes breakdown unneeded or damaged cells. Researchers discovered that a specific protein in worms, PA28γ/PSME3, is needed for longer life in colder conditions and helps break down proteins as the worms age. Cold-induced PA28γ (i.e. proteasome activator 28γ) also stops harmful protein clumps in worm models of Huntington's disease and ALS. Similarly, slightly lower temperatures in human cells also boost proteasome activity, helping to reduce the effects of these diseases.

Big Picture: Although low temperature's effect on longevity has been known for over a century, the mechanisms behind it are still not well understood. These results reveal an evolutionarily conserved effect of cold temperature on proteasome regulation with potential implications for aging and age-related diseases.

Original article: here.

There may be a reason some of us struggled more in school than others 🤓

Gist: A study published in Psychological Science reveals that students with greater "brain-to-brain synchrony" with classmates and teachers tend to learn better.

Nitty-Gritty: The research, led by Ido Davidesco from the University of Connecticut's Neag School of Education, is the first to show that the level of brainwave synchronization between students and teachers during real-world learning can predict students' retention of information. The researchers used electroencephalography (EEG) to monitor the brain activity of undergraduate students and instructors during lectures. The results demonstrated that students' brainwaves became in sync with one another and with the teacher. Students with higher brainwave synchrony performed better in post-lecture tests, and the researchers could predict which questions students would answer correctly based on the synchrony during relevant lecture moments.

Big Picture: Individual brainwaves were not predictive of learning success, however, the connection between students and instructors was crucial.

Original article: here.

Is your gut health linked to your exercise routine?🏃🏼‍♂️

Gist: Exercise is known for its numerous benefits, including its impact on the gut microbiome, which is the collection of trillions of microbes in our guts. Athletes' microbiomes are different from sedentary individuals, likely due to factors such as leanness and strict training schedules. A study published in The FASEB Journal investigated how exercise affects the gut microbiota in non-athletes, focusing on middle-aged adults and examining factors like exercise type, duration, and intensity.

Nitty-Gritty: Results showed that engaging in moderate physical activity for more than 150 minutes per week increased both the richness and diversity of gut microbiomes compared to less active participants. This supports Health Canada's recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week.

In terms of exercise intensity, the duration of exercise was found to be more crucial than intensity in improving gut microbes. However, the study also found that changes in the microbiome varied among individuals, with the most beneficial changes observed in those with normal weight compared to overweight individuals. This is attributed to the influence of being overweight on the gut microbiome, as poor dietary habits can outweigh some of the positive effects of exercise on gut microbes.

Big Picture: The authors recommend that the best approach to achieving a healthy and optimally functioning gut microbiome is not only exercising more but also maintaining a healthy weight.

Original article: here.

AI assistance for diagnosing Alzheimer’s 🧐

Gist: New technologies leveraging machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) can help physicians diagnose cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease in their early stages by analyzing subtle changes in patients' voices, according to a study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researcher Dr. Ihab Hajjar. The study, published in the Alzheimer’s Association publication Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, focused on identifying early language and audio changes often undetectable by family members or primary care physicians.

Nitty-Gritty: Researchers assessed speech patterns in 206 participants (114 with mild cognitive decline and 92 unimpaired) using advanced NLP tools and compared them to standard biomarkers to measure impairment. Participants described artwork in a 1 to 2 minute recording, which was analyzed for speech motor control, idea density, grammatical complexity, and other features.

Comparing speech analytics to cerebral spinal fluid samples and MRI scans, the team found that digital voice biomarkers accurately detected mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease status and progression. Traditional neuropsychological tests take several hours to administer, while voice recordings took fewer than 10 minutes.

Big Picture: If confirmed in larger studies, the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to study vocal recordings could provide primary care providers with an easy-to-perform screening tool for at-risk individuals, allowing for earlier diagnoses, better planning, and more effective lifestyle interventions.

Original article: here.

⭐️Snippet of the week! 🤩

Good news for older cyclists: Riding can help strengthen your immune system! 🚴

A study published by King’s College London studied 125 long distance cyclists, who are now in their 80’s, and found that their immune systems resembled those of 20 year-olds! The older endurance cyclists were producing the same level of T-cells (a type of immune cell) as adults in their 20s, whereas the group of inactive older adults were producing much less.

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